Bhopal, April 5 (IANS) With the Lok Sabha polling dates fast approaching, many political heavyweights have descended at the well-known Pitambara Shakti Peeth temple in Madhya Pradesh to seek divine blessings for victory in the elections.

Several candidates in Madhya Pradesh whose tickets have been finalized have started performing religious rituals, including tantrik rites, hoping for success.

‘Most of the tantrik rituals are performed in secret as there is a strong belief that they don’t work if they are performed publicly,’ said a priest.

Several top leaders, including from the Scindia family, arrived a few days ago at Pitambara Peeth, located at the entrance of Datia town near Gwalior, for performing puja.

Prominent among those who arrived include former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and her sister and Gwalior MP Yashodhara Raje Scindia.

Their relative and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dhyanendra Singh and his MP wife Maya Singh are also leaving no stone unturned in appeasing the goddess at the Pitambara Peeth.

‘All these leaders have shunned colourful clothes and are dressed in yellow attire. They are not only doing sewa (public service) at the temple but are not eating anything brought from outside. They are surviving only on home-cooked food in order to appease the goddess,’ said an official of the temple trust.

Others who visited the temple include BJP’s Madhya Pradesh president Narendra Singh Tomar, Madhya Pradesh PWD Minister Nagendra Singh, Water Resources Minister Anup Misra, who is the nephew of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and former minister Narottam Misra, who is contesting against Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna.

‘They performed pujas to earn the favour of the almighty in the polls either for themselves or their party,’ the official said.

Leaders of the Congress, including Madhya Pradesh party chief Suresh Pachauri, are seeking the blessings of various deities for the success of the party.

‘Pachauri has already visited the Pitambara Peeth during Navratri. His supporters have organised yagnas in the towns of Dwarka and Ujjain though Pachauri’s candidature is yet to be finalized,’ a Congress leader told IANS.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s loyalists are reported to have fanned out to various religious places like the Lord Venkateshwara temple in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, the Guruvayur Krishna temple in Thrissur district of Kerala and the Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi to pray for his victory.

Leaders from other states also visited the Pitambara Peeth. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s close aide Satish Chandra Misra and Minister Badshah Singh went to the temple after the announcement of the polls.

‘Candidates of all the parties are performing pujas and yagnas. Most leaders are opting for the Akhand Ramayana Path (recitation of Ramayana for 24 hours) or Durga Saptashati Path (recited for nine days),’ said Pandit Rajesh Sharma.

Some of the aspirants, hoping for sure success, have opted for a special prayer, the Shat Chandi Path, which takes 21 days, said Sharma.